


Book 1: Asgard

by kittys_fic



Category: Loki - Fandom, Loki laufeyson - Fandom, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mild Angst, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Mild Smut, New found superpowers, Nightmares, Past Abuse, Protective Loki, Visitor on Asgard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-03-31 22:26:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13984614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittys_fic/pseuds/kittys_fic
Summary: Thor came to Earth to find you and bring you back to Asgard. While you are visiting Asgard you encounter Loki, who becomes protective of you and wants to help you conquer your recurring nightmares, as well as bring forth the powers that have been lying dormant within you.





	1. The Dance

“You look lovely, my lady,” says Thor as you enter the ballroom. You don’t feel very lovely, though. You’re not the type to wear a fancy dress or jewels, yet here you are, dressed to the nines for Thor’s party. You feel silly, really, in your long gown, your hair and makeup done just right by the handmaids Thor had assigned to take care of you. You are, after all, his guest on Asgard.

You make your way through the crowd of people to where Thor is standing. “Hi there,” you say somewhat timidly. “I feel kind of out of place here. Parties are really not my thing.”

“I’m glad you came,” Thor replies. “There’s some people I’d like you to meet.”

He takes you by the hand and leads you over to a small group of people. Your heart starts beating faster and you can feel your throat tighten. You do not like talking to people you don’t know. Yet you try to put on your best face.

As Thor is introducing you around, you notice a tall, dark figure standing out on the balcony. It's Loki, Thor's brother. He looks as uncomfortable as you. You secretly wish you could go hide out on the balcony with him and away from all the commotion.

Thor notices you looking at his brother. “Don’t mind Loki,” he says. “He’s not feeling very social I’m afraid.”

You smile at Thor and turn to look back at Loki, but he has disappeared from the balcony.

You do your best to fit in at the party. It feels like you’ve met everyone in Asgard, and you can’t remember anyone’s name. You need a drink. Suddenly you hear music coming from somewhere, and you notice people starting to dance. _Oh no_ , you think to yourself, _Not dancing. Anything but that._

As people pair off, you try to sneak off to the balcony where you saw Loki before, but Thor steps in front of you. “Dance with me, my lady!” he says, throwing his arms around you and literally sweeping you off your feet.

You grin sheepishly as the two of you start dancing. Thor’s a big man, and you feel rather insignificant dancing with a god, especially one like Thor. His arm feels like a tree trunk around your waist. He smiles down at you. “I do hope you’re enjoying yourself,” he says.

“Well, I’m trying,” you tell Thor as you try to follow his steps. “It’s a bit of a new experience for me, being here on Asgard. It's such a unique place.”

"Aye, it is," says Thor. "And you fit in perfectly here, I must say."

"I do?" You don't believe him. 

“May I cut in?” a voice says from behind you. You and Thor stop dancing and you turn around to see who it is. It’s Loki.

“Certainly, brother,” says Thor. Loki smiles at you and offers his arm. You take it, and he leads you to a quieter corner of the dance floor. 

The two of you dance quietly for a few minutes. Loki is very different from his brother. Not nearly as muscular, yet still quite attractive in his own way. You feel oddly at peace in his arms as he leads you around the floor. You look up at him. His eyes are a beautiful shade of blue, unlike any you’ve ever seen. And he’s tall, so very tall.

Loki looks down at you, and finally breaks the silence.

“You looked about as uncomfortable as I am,” he says. “I thought you’d have enjoyed all the attention from my brother.”

“Nah,” you say. “Thor’s nice and all, but he’s a bit too… boisterous… for my tastes. Don’t tell him I said that, though.”

Loki smiles. “I won’t.”

“What about you? Why are you so uncomfortable?” you ask. “Aren’t you used to these things?”

“Ah, yes, well,” Loki says. “My brother is the social one. I prefer to sit alone and read.”

“Me too,” you reply. The music stops. 

“Come, [Y/N], walk with me,” Loki says.


	2. The Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Loki go for a walk in the garden, where he learns something about you.

Loki leads you down a large marble staircase and out the door into the night air. You are in the palace gardens, and the air smells of roses and lilacs. You wish there were more light so you could see all of the flowers. You do so love flowers.

You and Loki walk slowly together through the garden. You don’t know exactly why he wanted you to walk with him, but you really don’t mind. It gets you away from all the people and commotion.

“So, [Y/N], what brings you to Asgard?” Loki asks you.

“Your brother,” you reply. “We met on Earth, while I was working for Stark Industries. He felt bad that I didn’t have any family, so he invited me to come visit his. He also said he'd been... searching for me for a long time.”

Loki bristles. “You worked for Tony Stark?”

You look up at him. Even in the darkness, you can tell his expression is pained. “Yes, Tony Stark. Of the Avengers. You know, the ones that kept you from taking over New York.”

“Ah, so you know about that,” he says.

“I was there,” you reply.

Loki stops walking and turns to you. “I hope you don’t hold that against me, [Y/N]. I’ve changed a lot since then.”

“Have you?” You aren’t so sure what to really think of Loki. He’s being nice enough to you, but you know deep down he is a trickster. You can’t be sure if you can trust him. Yet that’s what he seems to want from you. You look up at him, your head tilted.

Loki stares at you for a second, then smiles. “How about we change the subject?”

“Okay,” you reply, and the two of you continue walking.

“What happened to your family, if I may ask?”

Your heart sinks. You do not like to talk about your family. It’s too painful. It still gives you nightmares. But Loki doesn’t know that. He’s only curious. Or is he?

“Um…” your voice trails off and you can feel tears starting to form in your eyes. You turn away from Loki, shuddering.

“[Y/N]? Have I said something wrong?”

“I… I’m sorry, Loki,” you say as you sniffle. “I just don’t like to talk about it.”

Loki takes your hand. “You have nightmares, don't you?” he says softly.

“How… how did you know?” you ask, looking down, trying hard not to cry.

Loki cups your chin in his hand, gently pulling your head upwards to look at him. “You have them every night?”

“Yes.” The tears start to fall from your eyes. You can’t stop them.

“Hmm," Loki says. "Maybe I can help.”


	3. The Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious guest greets you in your room.

You head back to your chambers, filled with the usual sense of dread about having to go to sleep. _Please_ , you think to yourself as you make your way down the hall. _Please may the monsters stay away tonight._

After your walk with Loki, you briefly went back to the party to say goodbye to everyone. Thor seemed a little put off when you told him where you had been, but you didn’t mind. Despite his past misgivings, Loki managed to put you a little more at ease. You were thankful that you were able to spend a little quality time with him and the flowers.

You open your chamber door, and for a moment you are startled. There is a cat on your bed. It is all black, slender and sleek, with the most beautiful blue eyes you have ever seen. It looks up at you and meows softly.

You catch your breath. _It’s just a cat._

“Hello,” you say to the cat. “What are you doing here?”

The cat stretches languidly and you notice its unusual collar. It is gold, studded with several bright green emeralds. Such an ornate collar for such a small animal. Still, it suits the cat somehow. You reach your hand out to pet it. It rolls over onto its side to let you stroke its soft, silky fur. You sigh with a smile.

“Are you going to stay with me tonight?” you ask the cat. It starts to purr.

You go off into the adjoining room to change into your pajamas. Something about that cat seems awfully familiar, but you can’t quite place it. It is friendly, that’s for sure.

You return to your bed, and the cat is still there, waiting for you. You crawl under the blankets and turn off the light. The cat moves a little closer to you and curls up within arm’s reach. You reach over and stroke its ears and the top of its head. It purrs again. The sound is soothing, and soon you find yourself drifting off to sleep.

The first hour or so is fitful sleep, as you keep waking up from worry that you might dream again. Each time you wake, you see the cat is still there next to you and you feel a little bit calmer. Eventually, deeper sleep takes its hold.

And then a dream starts to take shape, only this time it’s different than the usual. You are lying in bed, aware of someone lying next to you. You are not worried, however, as he only gives you a sense of security and safety. You breathe deeply as he shifts closer to your side of the bed. You feel his warmth next to you and hear the sound of his breath. You are not afraid.

You feel his hand gently touch your hair and smooth it back. Then his fingers start to intertwine within the strands of your hair. His breathing quickens slightly. His fingers move to your jawline, stroking it tenderly, then moving down your neck until they rest on your shoulder.

You hear him sigh. He is hesitating for some reason, but you want him to continue. You feel nothing but peace and comfort under his hands.

You feel him lean closer to your face. Then, ever so gently, you feel his lips brush against your forehead. You smile. You think you might know who this person is.

“Loki,” you whisper sleepily.

“Yes, my darling,” you hear him whisper back.

This startles you awake. You were not expecting a reply. You bolt upright in your bed, looking all around the room, but there is no one there. No one except the cat sleeping next to you.

You sigh heavily. The cat stirs and looks up at you. You look down at it and scratch its head. You slowly lie back down, continuing to pet the cat. You close your eyes again and soon fall back asleep.

When you awake the next morning, you notice the cat has left. You realize that you had no nightmares last night, that for the first time in ages you slept peacefully. You smile and rise from the bed to get dressed for breakfast.

You make your way down to the dining hall, where Thor and Loki are deep in conversation about something. They both look up at you when you appear, and they both smile at you.

“Good morning, my lady,” says Thor.

“Good morning, Thor,” you reply.

Loki motions for you to sit next to him, so you do. Once you are seated, he leans over to you and whispers, “How did you sleep?” You notice a hint of a smile on his lips.

“Remarkably well, thank you,” you reply.

“No nightmares?”

“No nightmares.”

“Good to hear,” he says, his smile widening. He takes your hand and kisses it. “Very good to hear.”


	4. The Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You cannot find Loki anywhere, so instead you hang out with Thor. When you come back to your room, a message awaits you.

For the next three nights, the black cat with the gold and emerald collar keeps you company as you sleep. And for those three nights, you don’t have a single nightmare. You do, however, dream frequently of Loki. And every morning when you awake, the cat is nowhere to be found.

By the morning after the third night, you are fairly certain that Loki has something to do with your lack of nightmares. You rise from the bed and go into the adjoining room to get dressed. You pick up your pants to put them on, and notice something is in the front pocket. You reach into the pocket and pull out the collar that the cat was wearing.

You hold up the collar to the morning light. It sparkles in such a way that you’ve never seen before. Just for kicks, you try to slip it over your hand and onto your wrist to see if it fits. Amazingly, it does, nearly perfectly.

You pull on the rest of your clothes and lace up your boots. You are anxious to get downstairs and confront Loki about his involvement in your new-found peaceful sleep.

Unfortunately, you cannot find him. You look in every room and hallway you can think of, taking up most of the morning trying to track him down. But he is nowhere. You become increasingly frustrated with each room you check.

During the rest of the day and into the evening, you ask everyone you come across if they’ve seen Loki, and they all answer no. Your heart begins to sink as you watch the sun go down through the nearby window. You were certain you’d be able to find him, but he is apparently up to his old tricks again. You feel slightly angry towards him. It’s as if he knew you’d be looking for him, and purposely avoided you all day.

You head to the dining hall to get something to eat, having for the time given up on finding Loki. Thor is there, and he raises his head from his plate and smiles.

“Ah, there you are,” he says to you. “Where have you been all day?”

You don’t want to admit you’d been looking for his brother all day long. “Um… exploring the palace,” you reply.

“And? What do you think?” asks Thor.

“It’s… big,” you say with a small grin. “And beautiful, of course.”

Thor motions for you to sit by him, and you do. He offers you some bread from a nearby basket, and you happily take a piece. You haven’t eaten all day, and you are quite hungry.

Thor pours you a goblet of mead. You take it, and taste it carefully. It is quite strong, yet oddly tasty.

“My brother tells me you have nightmares,” Thor says to you softly. “Are you still having nightmares here on Asgard?”

You turn to look at him. “Actually, no,” you reply. “My sleep has been remarkably peaceful here. Although…” your voice trails off.

“Although what?” asks Thor.

“Well,” you reply, “I’ve been having… other dreams. Happier dreams. It’s actually quite refreshing.”

“Interesting,” Thor says. Then his eyes turn to the gold and emeralds on your wrist. “What is that?” he asks you.

“Oh, this? I found it in my room. I hope it doesn’t belong to anyone,” you reply.

“I’ve never seen that bracelet before,” says Thor. You feel relieved to hear him say that.

You and Thor continue talking, eating and drinking. He tells you of his other escapade to Earth, prior to the Battle of New York, where he met Jane Foster. You listen, quite enthralled by his storytelling. You laugh as he recounts the first time he met Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. He asks you more about yourself, where you lived, and what you did prior to meeting the Avengers. You notice that he carefully avoids asking you about your family, and for that you are thankful.

During your conversation, you consume a couple more goblets of mead. By the end of the third goblet, you are feeling a bit woozy. You decide this would be a good time to excuse yourself from Thor’s company and head up to bed. You say your goodbye and carefully walk up the marble staircase to your chambers, holding onto the bannister for support. Your head is spinning.

You reach your chamber door and push it open, anxious to get into bed and sleep off the mead. The first thing you notice is that the black cat that had kept you company the last few nights is not there tonight.

You walk over to the mirror and look at yourself in your half-drunken state. You’ve looked better.

Something on the table next to the mirror catches your eye. It is a rose, perfect and beautiful and red, most likely plucked from the gardens you walked through a few nights ago with Loki. You pick up the rose and inhale its intoxicating scent, closing your eyes to let the aroma consume you. You do so love roses.

When you open your eyes again you notice there is a note on the table. It must have been underneath the rose. You unfold the note carefully.

The writing on the note is an ornate script. _Come to the balcony_ , it says.


	5. The Balcony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki shows you something about yourself that you never knew.

You slowly put the note and the rose back down onto the table and look over to the door to the balcony. _What on Earth?_ you think to yourself.

You push the balcony door open, and you see a tall, dark figure standing there. His back is to you, and he is looking up at the stars.

“Loki? Is that you?”

Loki turns to face you. “Yes, my lady, it is I,” he replies.

You feel a sudden sense of annoyance. “Where the hell have you been all day? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“I know,” he says.

“Well then why –”

He raises his hand to cut you off. “I know what you’re going to say. Yes, it was I who came into your room these past few nights. It was I who kept the nightmares away.”

You look at him, incredulously. “Why?” you ask, “Why would you do that for me?”

Loki smiles at you. You do so like how his eyes light up when he smiles.

“Does it matter?” he says. “The nightmares are gone. And as long as you wear this –” he takes your wrist and holds it up, showing the gold and emerald bracelet, “They will remain gone.”

You don’t know what to think. You look up at Loki, who is still smiling. When your eyes meet his, however, his look softens a bit.

“Are you angry with me, my lady?” he asks you gently. You notice he is still holding onto your wrist. You pull it back quickly and turn away from him.

“[Y/N]? Have I done something wrong?”

You turn back to face him again. “No,” you reply. “No, you have not. Thank you, Loki. This is the best thing anyone could have ever done for me. I just don’t understand why you did it. For me. A mere human, a mortal. Someone who is beneath you.”

Loki smiles again. “Ah, [Y/N], you are not beneath me. I know all about you. I know where you came from, who your true mother was, and most of all, what you can do.”

You blink several times.

“ _What?!_ ” you exclaim. “What are you talking about?”

“Oooh, I’ve said too much,” Loki says with a smirk. “You will learn, in time.”

“Learn _what??_ ” You are burning with curiosity. What does he know? What is going on?

Loki hesitates for a moment, a look of deep thought in his eyes. Then he takes your hand.

“Here,” he says. He holds your hand so your palm is facing upward. “Hold it there,” he says.

You comply, holding your hand up, not sure what to expect.

Loki positions his hand above yours, his palm facing yours. A moment passes, and then a bright blue flame erupts from your palm.

You scream. The flame goes out.

“WHAT WAS THAT?!?!” you cry, half terrified and half excited.

“That was you,” Loki says calmly. “It’s been in you all along. You just don’t know it.”

You hold up your hands and look at them. _This has been here all along? How did I not know this?_ you think to yourself. _And why is Loki telling me this now?_

Loki watches you in your confusion. He places a hand on your shoulder. You look up at him, tears starting to form in your eyes.

“I can show you how to use it,” he says.

“Is this… is this why you…” You are dumbfounded. You don’t know what to say at all.

“Is this why I care about you?” he finishes your sentence. “Yes, and no.”

The tears start to flow freely. You bury your face in your hands. “Loki… why… who… am I?”

Loki lifts your chin up so that you are looking at him. The fingers of his free hand wipe away your tears. He leans his head close to yours.

“Do not be afraid,” he whispers. He leans in closer.

You close your eyes. His lips brush against yours, gently, his fingers still under your chin.

You open your eyes again and look into his blue, blue eyes. “Loki…”

“Shhh,” he says. “You’re tired. You should go to sleep.”


	6. The Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki keeps you company as you come to grips with the news.

Your head is swimming. You’ve just learned that you are a lot more than what you thought you were, and you have so many questions.

_Who am I?_

_Who was my real mother?_

_Why was I able to hold that flame in my hand and not get burnt?_

_What else does Loki know about me that I don’t?_

_Does Thor know about me too? Who else knows?_

So many questions… but you are also so very, very tired.

You look up at Loki, who is standing next to you on the balcony. He looks back at you, his eyes shining in the moonlight.

“Will you… stay with me tonight?” you ask him.

“Yes,” he answers. “But you have to promise me to try to sleep, and we’ll talk more about this tomorrow.”

“Okay,” you reply. Loki takes your hand and leads you back into the room, away from the balcony. The door shuts behind you.

You feel a bit uncertain what to do next. “Um…” you flounder for the right words.

“Go, get changed. I’ll wait here,” Loki says.

So you go off into the adjoining room to put on your pajamas. When you return to the main room, Loki is seated in the chair next to the bed, the rose in his hand, his jacket and cape draped over the back of the chair. When he sees you enter the room, he smiles, puts the rose down, and stands up.

“After you,” he says.

You crawl under the covers of your bed and put your head down on the pillow. You feel like you could fall asleep the minute you close your eyes. Yet you are not so sure you want to close them.

Loki gets into bed next to you. You turn to face him. He props himself up on his elbow and strokes your hair.

“I have so many questions, Loki,” you say to him sleepily.

“I know, darling, I know,” he replies. “But for now, you must sleep.”

The last thing you are aware of is him kissing your forehead.

You awaken the next morning from a dreamless, peaceful sleep. Loki is lying beside you, his arm around you, his face nuzzled in your hair. You smile and sigh and try to turn over to see his face.

Loki stirs. He grabs you tighter so you can’t turn over. You giggle softly. “Loki…”

“Good morning, my darling,” he says, pushing your hair out of the way. He leans in and kisses the back of your neck. You feel a spark of warmth within you as his lips move down the length of your neck to your shoulder.

“What are you doing?” you giggle again.

Loki stops and looks up. “Does my lady not like it?”

“Oh, I like it,” you reply. “I was just wondering…”

Loki turns you over onto your back so that you can see his face, finally. “Oh, I know. You have questions. Many questions. And I will answer them all. But first…”

He resumes nibbling your neck. You lean your head back to give him better access. You don’t know why you like this so much. You should be angry with him. First he avoided you all day yesterday and now he’s thrown this bombshell into your lap. But damn, you love the way his kisses and nibbles feel on your skin.

You feel his hand start to move down the length of your body, coming to rest on your hip. He leans in and kisses your lips, gently at first, then more passionately.

The spark that you felt before has now become a flickering flame within you. You slide your hands under his tunic, running your hands along his back, feeling the smoothness of his skin underneath the fabric. You hear his breath quicken as he continues to kiss you. His tongue pushes into your mouth, exploring. You gently rake your fingernails across his back and you hear him moan softly.

Suddenly there is a knock at the door.

“Ignore it,” says Loki, and you resume your kiss.

“[Y/N]? Are you in there?” says a voice outside the door.

You and Loki break away from each other and both roll your eyes. “Thor,” you both say.


	7. The Origin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You learn of your true heritage and why Thor brought you to Asgard.

“[Y/N], are you in there? You never came down for breakfast. I want to make sure you’re all right,” Thor bellows through the door. “Come to think of it, Loki never came down, either. I don’t suppose you’ve seen him?”

Loki sighs. “That’s because I’m here, brother,” he yells back.

“Oh,” Thor says. “Is [Y/N] in there with you?”

“What do you think, Thor?” you shout at the door.

“Oh. Ohhhh,” says Thor. “My apologies. I’ll leave you two alone. But don’t linger too long, or else people will start to ask about you. There’s still some breakfast left if you’re hungry.”

“Thank you,” you call out. “We’ll be down soon.”

You look up at Loki, who is still hovering above you. You smile. “I think we’d better get downstairs,” you say.

Loki sighs again. “Yes, I suppose we should.”

Down in the dining hall, you find some leftover bread and bacon and start to eat. Loki decided to skip breakfast and went off to go talk to Thor about something. You notice the position of the sun through the window and wonder how long you’d been asleep.

Then you start to think about what happened the night before, what Loki showed you on the balcony. You get an idea. You sit down at the long dining table and look around. You are the only one in the room. You take a piece of bread in your hand and hold it out. You stare at the bread intently, concentrating as hard as you can on it.

Sparks begin to fly around the piece of bread, and it levitates slightly above your hand. “Whoa!” you whisper to yourself.

Suddenly the bread bursts into flames. You scream. The flaming bread drops to the table. You try frantically to put out the fire, hitting the bread with a napkin. Finally you grab a pitcher of water and pour it over the bread, and it extinguishes with a _hisssss_. You exhale, relieved.

“Well, that’s a start,” says a voice from the other side of the room. You startle and look up. Thor and Loki are both standing there, watching you.

You look at the two of them, somewhat defiantly. “So how long have you known about this? And why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Thor frowns. “My lady, this is why I wanted you to come to Asgard. So you could learn about your heritage, and learn how to use the abilities the gods have given you.”

“The gods?!” you exclaim. “What gods? Am I a… god?”

“Not exactly,” says Loki.

“Well, then what…”

“Your true mother was a servant of my mother and father,” says Thor. “She was loyal and true to them, and always in their good graces. She served for many long years. They gave you to her as a gift.”

“A gift?”

“A token of gratitude,” says Loki. “Your mother thought she got a child to make her happy. What she did not realize was that you were so much more than that.”

You stare at the two of them, not sure what to say next.

“Odin and Frigga blessed you with certain abilities,” says Thor. “I was hoping that bringing you to Asgard would awaken them within you. And I am happy to see that it has.”

You stare down at your hands. “So wait. I’m confused. If I was born on Asgard, how did I end up on Earth?”

“You were stolen,” says Loki.

“Stolen? By whom?”

“We’re not entirely certain,” says Thor. “We just know that one night, when you were a young girl, you were asleep in your bed, and the next morning you were gone. It took me this long to track you down.”

You try your best to take this all in. You look at Thor, then to Loki, than back to Thor.

“So… the family I grew up with… the family I know… ” you say hesitantly.

“Were probably your captors,” says Loki.

It starts to make sense. The years of abuse. The fear, the depression, the desperate need to get away. The trauma, the nightmares… it all makes sense now.

You blink a few times. “Wow,” you say. “Just… wow.” You sit down, looking back at your hands for a moment. “What of my real mother?” you ask, still looking at your hands.

“Sadly, she passed away,” says Thor. “She mourned you until the day she died.”

“Oh,” you say, sadly. “I would have liked to meet her.”

Thor steps forward. “I vowed to your mother on her deathbed that I would find you and bring you back home,” he says.

This is all so much to absorb. You sit in silence for a minute, trying to process it all. You feel the familiar twinge of tears in your eyes. You bury your face in your hands.

Loki puts a hand on your shoulder. “Are you all right?”

You look up at him, thoughtfully, wiping a tear from your eye. “So, how do I learn to use these… abilities?”

“You’ll need a few lessons,” says Thor, smiling.

“I will be your teacher,” says Loki.

You take a deep breath. You feel a sudden sense of freedom, as if the sad, tortured past you had known was replaced by a bright, hopeful future. You want to learn all you can about your new found self, and your awakening abilities. A smile stretches across your lips.

“When do we start?” you ask.


	8. The Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have your first lesson with Loki and start to get comfortable in your abilities.

You and Loki are in a large, mostly empty room. In the middle of the room is a table with a few random objects on it. A goblet, a book, a candlestick. Loki walks over to the table and picks up the candlestick.

He holds it out at arm’s length so you can see it. “I want you to light it,” he tells you.

“From here?” you ask.

“Yes.”

“Um…” You look at the candle, not sure what to do.

“Concentrate,” says Loki.

You take a deep breath and gather your thoughts. You stare at the wick of the candle, concentrating on getting it to light. A few sparks come out of the wick, but nothing more.

“Hmm,” you say.

“Try again,” says Loki.

You stare again at the wick, and this time hold out your hand to try to focus your energy better. You then get an idea. You walk forward towards Loki and the candle until your fingers are touching the wick. A blue flame erupts from your fingertips, lighting the candle.

Loki smiles. “Not bad.”

“So is that all I can do, set things on fire?” you ask him.

“I’m not entirely certain,” says Loki. “Let’s try something else.”

He picks up the book and holds it, closed, in his hands. “Can you open it?” he asks you.

You look at the closed book and take another deep breath. You concentrate as best you can, intent on getting the book to open. To your amazement, the cover flies open and the pages start rustling. A few colorful sparks fly off the pages.

Loki shuts the book and smiles at you. “Let’s not set the book on fire too,” he says.

You giggle. “No, let’s not,” you reply.

“Your abilities are raw,” says Loki. “But with enough practice, you will be able to control them, and dare I say, you may even become as powerful as…” his voice trails off.

“As?”

Loki smiles again. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

You spend the next couple of hours practicing with the candle and the book, until you are comfortable working with them. You start to become a little bored after that, so you ask Loki to show you some of his own abilities.“You know, something to aspire to,” you say with a grin.

Loki smirks, raises his hand, and disappears.

“Well, what the hell?” you say to the air.

A few seconds pass, then Loki suddenly appears behind you and grabs you by the waist. You squeal. He twirls you around and kisses you, wrapping his arms around you. You close your eyes and melt into the kiss, pressing your body against him.

When you open your eyes again, you are no longer in the mostly empty room. You are in the garden, surrounded by the fragrant flowers you love so much. But Loki is gone.

“Loki? Where are you?” you call out.

“I’m right here,” you hear his voice say, but you do not see him anywhere.

“No fair,” you call out, “Come out where I can see you.”

“Over here.”

The voice is coming from the hedge maze. You head in that direction, hoping you can find where Loki is hiding.

You enter the maze and turn a corner. Before you are two ways you can go; to the right, and to the left.

“Which way?” you call out. No reply.

You sigh, and go to the right. You follow the hedge row down as far as you can until you hit another set of turns. This time you go to the left. Then to the right. Then, right again, then left. Soon you are lost in the maze.

“Okay, this isn’t funny anymore,” you say to the air. “I’m really lost.”

“Are you?” Loki’s voice calls out.

You look up. The sun is starting to go down. You can see the tops of the trees above the hedges that make up the maze. You get an idea. You’re not sure if you can do it, but…

You take a deep breath in, and hold it. You concentrate hard on an image of Loki in your head, as hard as you ever have in your life. You feel a strange sensation in your chest, and the scenery around you begins to blur.

The next thing you know, you are in the center of the maze. Loki is sitting on a bench there, and when he sees you he stands, a surprised look on his face.

“[Y/N], did you just…”

You look around, feeling a bit woozy. You try to walk over to him, but you stumble and fall to the ground.

He rushes to your side and bends down to help you back up. “Easy now,” he says. “You just teleported. I didn’t think you had that ability. But apparently…”

He helps you to the nearby bench, and sits down next to you, putting his arm around your shoulder. You lean your head on his chest, still feeling dizzy.

“Does it… does it always feel like this?” you ask him.

“You’ll get used to it,” he replies as he kisses your forehead.


	9. The Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the lessons with Loki continue, you find yourself growing increasingly attracted to him (and him to you).

You stand on one end of a large, mostly empty hall, a bright blue ball of flame in your hand. You lift up the flame and hurl it as hard as you can down towards the other end of the hall.

Loki ducks nonchalantly out of the way, the flame whizzing past his head and hitting the wall behind him, erupting into a cascade of blue sparks.

“Is that all you’ve got?” he says, smirking.

He’s been doing this all afternoon. Teasing you, making you feel uncertain, toying with your confidence. You know he’s just trying to teach you a lesson, but he’s being really quite annoying.

You look to your right and see a wooden chair. You stare at it intently. Sparks fly from the wood and the chair levitates off the ground. You swing your arm outward and the chair goes flying, heading straight for Loki.

But Loki stops the chair before it gets to him, and turns it back towards you. Now the chair is coming right at your head.

“ARGH!” you yell, throwing your hands out. The chair splinters into pieces, which fall to the ground in flames at your feet. You stare down at the smoldering wood, breathing heavy, hands clenched in fists.

“Come on, [Y/N], surely you can do better than that,” teases Loki.

You’ve had just about enough. You look up at him, standing at the other end of the hall, arms crossed, a devious smirk on his face. You wipe a bit of saliva off your bottom lip and proceed to rush towards him, fully intent on setting him on fire with your own hands.

Loki’s expression changes when he sees you approaching, and he quickly disappears. You stop where he was and turn around. He’s moved to the opposite end of the hall, and you run in that direction, your hands glowing with flame.

As you get closer to where Loki is standing, you hear laughter from behind you. You turn around and see Loki standing there as well.

Great, now there are two of him.

“Which one is it?” he taunts. You look from one Loki to the other and can’t decide. You throw your arms out and send flames in both directions. They go right through both Lokis.

“Shit,” you growl.

You feel defeated. You put your arms down by your sides and exhale heavily. Smoke rises from your fingers and circles around your head.

Both images of Loki disappear and are replaced by one Loki standing right in front of you.

You look up at him, anger in your eyes and voice. “So is this you now?”

Loki looks into your eyes and says nothing. His eyes have a hungry look about them. You squint at him, not sure what to think. You feel your heart beating hard inside your chest. Your breath is ragged. You still want to set him on fire, but you are also somehow a bit turned on by all of this.

He stares at you for what seems like an eternity. You can’t even begin to imagine what’s going through his head. You search his eyes for any clue as to what he’s thinking.

“Your confidence is growing,” he finally says.

“I guess,” you reply.

He leans in closer. “I must admit, I am… aroused by it,” he whispers into your ear.

You heart continues to pound inside your chest. You grab Loki by the collar and pull him down into a passionate kiss. He reciprocates, grabbing your shoulders and pushing you against the closest wall, pinning you in place. You throw your arms around him as he starts to kiss your neck. You feel his hand cup your breast through your clothes and you let out a small sigh.

You put your hands on his face and pull him back up to kiss your lips. You love the way his tongue feels in your mouth, the way his lips press against yours, urgently, almost desperately.

He grabs your leg and pulls it up around his waist, pressing his body against yours. You now have a pretty good idea of how aroused he is. You chuckle softly and reach around to grab his ass and pull him closer to you. His breath quickens as he attacks your neck again, his hands all over you.

“I want you,” he growls in your ear. “I need you. _Now_.”

“Mmmm,” you exhale. You are loving every minute of this, yet you also want more. “Let’s go upstairs?”

You wrap your other leg around his waist and hang onto him for dear life as the room around the two of you dissolves.


	10. The Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You knew making love to the god of mischief would be unlike anything you’d experienced before. But what you weren’t prepared for was how it would change you.

Moonlight shines through the window of your chambers. You watch it reflect in the deep blue of Loki’s eyes, dancing like fireflies in the night.

You and Loki lie in your bed, motionless, legs intertwined. Your head rests on his bare chest, your fingers languidly stroking his cool, smooth skin. His fingers are in your hair, absentmindedly twirling one of its strands. You can hear his heart beating under your ear.

You had known that making love to the god of mischief would be unlike anything you’d experienced before. But what you weren’t prepared for was how it would change you.

You had marveled at the sight of his lithe, slender body silhouetted in the darkness as he deftly climbed on top of you. His long, dark hair fell around his face as he looked into your eyes. You threw your head back and moaned loudly as he entered you. You had not expected to feel so alive, so complete, so whole in that moment.

Loki had done everything right. His kisses, his touches were in all the right places. All sorts of colorful sparks had filled the air as the two of you moved about on the bed. You hadn’t been certain if they were coming from you, or from Loki, or both of you. You could feel the sparks inside, too, giving an intoxicating tingling sensation within you.

You must have come three, maybe four times that night, which was unheard of for you. Had Loki cast a spell on you so that would happen? You weren’t sure. You just remember the devious smile on his lips each time you climaxed.

And when it came time for his turn, he had started muttering under his breath a language you didn’t understand, yet felt oddly familiar. He also uttered a name – _Ingrid_ – which was the name your true mother had given you when Odin and Frigga gifted you to her. He then buried his face in your neck and gasped as he gave one last thrust, and spilled into you.

You and he lie in silence, with only the sound of the wind outside and the beating of each other’s hearts. You feel completely and utterly at peace.

Loki takes your hand and lifts it up to the light. The gold and emerald bracelet sparkles. Loki smiles sweetly, kisses your hand, and puts it back down and you resume stroking his skin.

No words need be spoken. You and Loki are communicating on a different level. You lie there for a while longer, lost in each other’s thoughts.

After a while you notice Loki has fallen asleep. You smile, sigh quietly, and close your eyes.

_Ingrid_ , you think to yourself.

_Mother, I am home._


	11. The Purpose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You begin to question why you are being trained, and what your purpose is.

Thor had asked Loki if he could steal you for a few lessons of his own. He wanted to teach you about combat and weapons, so that you were better able to defend yourself. You weren’t sure why you needed to know this, but you went along with it anyway because sparring with Thor made you feel like kind of a badass. So far, you’ve learned how to handle a staff with relatively decent skill, and Thor also had you try your hand at the battle axe. You found that to be a bit heavy and clunky for your tastes.

Today, you are practicing defensive maneuvers, which mostly involve Thor throwing his hammer at you and you trying to get out of the way. A couple of times, the hammer glances off of you just barely and it stings like the devil. But mostly you are able to evade the wrath of Mjolnir and remain unscathed.

Thor has been impressed with your agility throughout his lessons. But every now and then he decides to push you out of your comfort zone.

As the hammer flies back to his hand, he pauses for a moment. He then raises the hammer above his head and slams it to the ground, causing powerful shockwaves to roll through the air.

“Shiiiiiiit…” you say to yourself as you watch the shockwave reach toward where you are standing. A massive force then pushes you backwards, off your feet, slamming you hard to the ground.

You lay flat on your back on the cool grass. The sky above you is a lovely shade of cerulean blue, with the occasional fluffy cloud passing by. Too bad you can’t really enjoy it because your entire body is wracked with pain. You groan.

“My lady, are you hurt?” you hear Thor say.

You cough, making your rib cage ache like it’s on fire. “Too bad that didn’t kill me.”

Thor chuckles, and extends his hand out to you to help you back up on your feet. You get up slowly, gingerly, and dust yourself off.

“Damn, Thor, that thing packs a punch,” you say.

“Aye,” replies Thor.

“Brother, you’d best not be injuring her,” you hear Loki’s voice say behind you. “We need her alive.”

“Brother!” Thor bellows. “[Y/N] is progressing quite nicely in her combat training.”

“Really?” Loki replies. “Is that why she was lying face up on the ground just now?”

You laugh. “He caught me off guard is all, Loki.”

“My hope is that I can teach her enough so that she will never be caught ‘off guard’,” says Thor.

“I see,” says Loki with a small frown.

“Are we finished here, Thor?” you ask.

“Aye, my lady, we are,” he replies.

“Thank you for another great lesson, then,” you say to him.

“Come, [Y/N], walk with me,” says Loki, and offers his arm to you. You take it, and the two of you head off to the garden.

The garden is in full bloom. Loki watches as you wander from rosebush to rosebush, taking in the heavenly aroma of the flowers. It is afternoon and the sun sits high in the sky, casting shadows of the trees all around.

“I do so enjoy this place,” you say to Loki.

Loki smiles. “Yes, I can see that,” he says. “But I can also see that something is bothering you. What is it?”

You stop walking and look at Loki. “How did you…?”

“You’re far too easy to read, my darling. I may need to spend some time teaching you how to close yourself off from those who like to pry.”

You look down at your feet. “It’s a curse,” you say. “I’m definitely far too emotional for my own good.”

“Ah, but that’s what makes you so endearing sometimes,” Loki replies.

“Sometimes??”

Loki chuckles and puts a hand on your shoulder. “You’re getting off the subject, darling. What is it that’s troubling you?”

You sigh heavily. “I must admit I’m starting to question my place.”

“Your place?”

“You know, in all of _this_.” You gesture at your surroundings. “I came to Asgard a scared, lonely person, and turned into someone completely different. I’d like to know what my purpose is, I guess.”

“Ah yes,” says Loki thoughtfully. “ _Purpose_. People are always looking for a purpose. A reason for being.”

“Is it so much to ask?” you reply.

Loki grins. “No, I suppose not.”

“Loki,” you look directly into his eyes. “What are you and Thor training me for?”

Loki breaks free from your gaze and stares off into the distance for a moment, biting his lip. Then he turns his eyes back to yours and takes your hands in his.

“I was hoping I would have more time, but… [Y/N], something is coming. Something malevolent. Something more powerful than we have ever seen. Thor has been in contact with the Avengers recently, and they have asked for his help.”

You blink. “What, you mean, back on Earth?”

“Yes,” says Loki. “The Midgardian hellhole you called home for so long.”


	12. The Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are having a lot of trepidation about going back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains memories of past abuse, and can be potentially triggering. Please be careful.

“You are nothing,” the woman says to you. “You always have been, and always will be, _nothing_.”

You cower in the corner, tears streaming down your cheeks fast and hot. “But mama…” you whimper.

“ _Shut up!_ ” the woman screams, kicking you in the leg. “You are not to speak when I am speaking. Do you understand?”

You give a frightened nod, wiping the streams of water off your face and sniffling.

“Now,” the woman says, a bit more calmly, “Where were you?”

You look up at her, swallowing hard. “I… I was just with some friends, mama. We didn’t do much, just hung out and talked is all.”

“Just hung out and talked?” the woman laughs. “About me, I suppose? You always did hate me.”

“I don’t hate you, mama, I…”

She kicks you again.

“That’s _enough_ out of you,” she growls. “No more hanging out with those ‘friends’ of yours. They’re a bad influence. Now get your sorry ass up off the floor and go to your room.”

You pull yourself up slowly, your leg still aching from the kicks. You say nothing more, but just drag yourself upstairs to your room.

You close the door to your room as quietly as you can and walk over to the mirror. Your eyes are red and puffy from crying. A faint bruise adorns your left cheek. You poke at it gingerly.

You start to remove your clothes, piece by piece. Every article removed reveals another set of bruises. On your chest, your arms, your legs…

_You are nothing_ , you hear the woman’s voice say inside your head. _Nothing. Nothing._

You go to your closet and get a fresh set of clothes, your favorite leggings and sweatshirt. You put them on slowly, carefully over your bruises and look at yourself in the mirror again. You take a deep breath and smooth your hair over with your hand.

You put on your boots. You grab a duffel bag that is sitting on the bed. You go to the window. You take another deep breath.

The window is two stories up. You open it slowly, quietly, and throw the bag down. It lands on the grass with a soft thud. You smell something cooking in the kitchen downstairs.

You shimmy out the window and jump down to the ground, landing right next to the bag. You grab the bag and run.

You make it to the bus station. As you enter the station, a deep sense of fear overtakes you. You are certain someone heard you leave the house. You start to think you are being watched, or even followed. You look around the station, at all the passing faces, making sure you don’t see anyone you know.

But the faces all look the same. They all look like _her_. She’s everywhere, and she’s coming after you…

Your heartbeat gets quicker, your breathing heavy. You feel dizzy and nauseous and struggle to the nearest bench. You can’t shake the feeling that she’s here and she’s going to kill you. You scream out, “Help me!” but no one comes to your aid.

And just like that, you are awake and screaming into the night air.

Loki awakens beside you. “What? What is it?”

“A nightmare,” you say breathlessly, holding back tears.

“A nightmare? But aren’t you wearing the bracelet?”

You look at your wrist. The bracelet is not there. “Where the hell is it?”

“Did you take it off at some point?” Loki inquires.

“I don’t… Well, yes, I took it off to have a bath this evening. Maybe I forgot to put it back on,” you reply.

You get up and head to the bathroom. The bracelet is there, next to the tub, resting on a towel and sparkling in the moonlight. You sigh with relief, pick it up, and put it back on your wrist.

“Did you find it?” Loki shouts to you.

You come back into the bedroom. “Yes, I found it. I guess I’m just so nervous about going back to Earth tomorrow that I lost track of it. Maybe.”

Loki motions for you to get back in bed. You crawl under the covers and snuggle up next to him. He puts his arms around you and kisses your forehead. “Do you want to tell me what the nightmare was about?” he asks.

“It was about… the past,” you reply. “My old life. My old family. They hurt me so much, Loki. You don’t know how scared I am to go back there.”

Loki’s arms tighten around you. “Whoever they are, [Y/N], they cannot hurt you any more.”

You look into his eyes. A stray tear falls down your cheek. “Promise?”

Loki’s hand strokes your cheek, wiping away the tear. He kisses your lips sweetly.

“I promise,” he whispers.


End file.
